The new effort comes in the form of the Internet Gaming Act (HB4797), introduced by State Rep. Edgar González Jr. on February 2, 2026. The framework would allow Illinois casinos - and racinos - to offer online poker alongside other casino games through licensed partners.
A Liquidity Angle That Poker Players Actually Care About
The headline hook for the poker crowd is not slots, not live dealer roulette - it’s liquidity. HB4797 includes language that would allow Illinois to join MSIGA, the interstate compact that links regulated online poker player pools across multiple states.
That matters because Illinois (population roughly 12.2 million, per the same report) would be a major booster shot for shared prize pools and cash-game traffic - the lifeblood of sustainable regulated online poker. Pennsylvania was the most recent MSIGA addition, joining in April 2025 - a move confirmed by Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board.
The Business Model: Three Skins, Big Tax, Real Fees
If HB4797 reads familiar, that’s because Illinois has tried this line before. iGaming offered only through licensed entities, with a cap of three branded “skins” per license. Where the bill can get spicy — and where lobbying tends to start throwing punches — is the price tag.
Reports show a 25% tax rate, plus a 250.000$ one-time license fee and 100.000$ renewal every four years. For context, the 25% number isn’t new in Illinois iGaming drafting: the full text page for HB3080 also references a 25% privilege tax deposited into the State Gaming Fund.
Why Illinois Keeps Getting Stuck on This Turn
Illinois is already a heavyweight gambling state, and that cuts both ways. Online sports betting as proof the market is enormous, 1.44 billion$ in sports betting revenue last year and ranking Illinois second nationally - while the Illinois Gaming Board’s own sports wagering reporting hub underscores just how established that ecosystem has become.
But size also means entrenched interests. The recurring fear is cannibalization: established verticals don’t always welcome a new competitor living in everyone’s pocket. The massive video gaming terminal (VGT) footprint and the usual labor concerns tied to brick-and-mortar casino jobs — the same pressure points that have helped previous bills stall in committee.
What Happens Next
Right now, the question isn’t whether Illinois poker players want regulated online tables - it’s whether Springfield can thread the needle between new tax revenue, consumer protection, and the lobbying gravity of existing gambling industries. HB4797 is currently assigned to the House Rules Committee, meaning it still has to survive the early procedural grind before any real vote momentum begins.
If it does break through, though, Illinois wouldn’t just be “another state considering online poker.” It would be the kind of population-and-volume add-on that could change the feel of MSIGA itself - bigger fields, deeper guarantees, and a more sustainable ecosystem where regulated poker can finally breathe.
Sources: igb.illinois.gov, ilga.gov, pokerscout, wikimedia
